Building block



Jam., 28? H936. Y A J, 5HM|TZ 2,028,997

' BUILDING BLOCK Filed June 30, 1953 i ZS/'ilr l Il -20 l l i lul Wl TNESSS fa/@W Patented Jan. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

I'he invention relates to building blocks and has for an object to provide a block having the characteristics of an offset at each end, the offset at one end extending from the upper portion of the block and the oiiset at the other end extending from the lower portion of the block, each offset overlapping an offset of an adjoining block of a series of blocks bonded together with mortar joints to form a course in a wall, the face of each block having mortar grooves therein dividing it into'a plurality of panels simulating a wall constructed of smaller blocks or bricks.

Another object is to provide a building block formed with vertical through-openings which are designed to register with corresponding openings in superposed blocks to form ues for the reception of conducting means.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing, and such objects as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the features hereinafter described and sought to be defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, and in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a section of a wall constructed of blocks embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of adjoining blocks, one of which is shown in dotted lines, and

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of ller blocks for use at wall and window openings.

In the drawing, the numeral I Il indicates a block provided at each end with offsets I2 of a width substantially the width of the block and a depth of substantially one half of the thickness of the block, the offset at one end extending from the upper portion of the block and the oiset at the other end extending from the lower portion of the bolck. The oiset at each end of the block overlaps an offset of a companion block to which it is bonded by mortar to form a joint I5 when the blocks are laid in a course in the construction of a wall.

Each block is also formed with a plurality of openings Il spaced from each other by a web I8, and extending through the block, the openings in one block registering with corresponding openings in a superposed block, in the several courses of the wall, the openings forming ues designed to receive piping or wiring I 9 passing through the registering openings. The openings I 'I have one side open, next to the oiset at an end of the block, and the open side will be closed by the olset of the adjoining block, when the blocks are laid end to end, and in courses, as will be obvious from an inspection of Figure 3 of the drawing.

At the ends of the courses where door or window frames 20 occur, blocks 2l of the form illustrated in Figure 4, and having L-shaped notches or recesses 23 at one end, are employed, and placed in the position shown in Figure 2; and a rectangular header block 22 is set across the oiset portion of the next below block of the course as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing so as to close the open side of the through opening 23 of the adjacent block of the course as indicated in plan in Figure 2, and in side elevation in Figure 1, of the drawing. Also at the meeting ends of the two walls, which extend at an angle to each other, a rectangular block 22 is placed so that said block and the oiset end portion of the adjacent block of one wall will close the open side of the through-opening in the L wall block of the meeting end wall, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. It will be observed from the foregoing description and drawing that each wall consists of a number of blocks, each block I0 formed with oifsets I3 and I4 at opposite ends, one offset I3 extending from the upper part of the block and the other offset I4 projecting from the lower part of the block at its opposite end, and that the blocks of each course are formed with a plurality of through openings I'I to receive conductor wires or piping I9, or both wires and piping, and also that one of the through openings I'I in each block I 0 has one open side, closed by the offset I3 or I4 of the adjoining block in the same course. At the point in a course where window or door frames occur, at which point the open side of the through openings 23 in the twopart ller block 2I, is closed by a substantially rectangular header block, or brick 22 (see Fig. 2).

At the corners of two walls, set substantially at right angles to each other, the projecting offset at the end of a block unit I0 may extend partially across the open side of a through-opening II formed in the unit and a rectangular shaped ller block or brick 22 may be placed so as to extend cross-wise of the open side of the through-opening I7 so that the open side of the opening I'I in the end block unit of one wall will be closed by the ller brick and by the projecting offset of the end block unit of the meeting wall as illustrated at the right hand side of Fig. 2, the filler block and projecting offset of one block unit lapping over the end oiset of the end block unit of the other meeting wall as shown in the same figure of the drawing.

` with longitudinally extending grooves and also may be lled or pointed up with mortar or other lling material, or left unlled, and the wall may thus be given the appearance of a brick wall of ordinary form, as previously stated. The panels i2 may have an ornamental surface or facing I6 formed by stone fragments embedded in the material of the panels in molding the blocks.

The oiset end portions of the blocks in one course where they overlap the offset portions of the blocks of a superimposed course eiect a substantial and eicient tieing together o' the several courses of the wall,` tending to prevent sagging or settling of the walls, Vand also materially reducing the `time and labor in construction of a wall. The iinished wall also has Vthe appearance on its outer face of a bonded brick wall of ordinary construction, and in structural features is stronger and more stable than a bondedbrick wall as ordinarily constructed.

Other features of advantage will be obvious to and appreciated by the skilled in this particular art.

It will also be noted that by forming each block with an offset at opposite ends, one offset projecting from the upper portion of the block, and the oiset atV the opposite end projecting from the lower portion of the block, the blocks constituting each course may be laid in the manner that bricks in an ordinary brick wall are laid, by simply laying one block on top of a block in a lower course, with a mortar Ybond between the superimposed blocks, and with'the end offsetsof one block overlapping Vthe offset of the next adjoining block of the course without the necessity of sliding a block longitudinally of the wall to bring the end offsets into overlapping relation to each other, thus eiTecting material saving in cost of time and mortar and labor.

The side faces of each block unit are formed' It is to be understood that some features described may be used Without others, and that changes can be made in details without departing from essential features of the invention as sought to be deiined by the appended claims.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits what I claim is:

l. A wall comprising block units, placed end to end in courses, each unit formed with openings extending through the unit, one of said openings having an open side, and each unit formed at opposite ends with a projecting offset, the offset at one end projecting from the upper portion of the block and the offset at the opposite end projecting from the lower portion of the block, the oil'set at one end overlapping the oiset of an adjoining block, when the blocks' are laid in courses, the offset at each end having a thickness equal substantially to one half the depth of the block and a width equal substantially to the width of the block, the oiset at one end of a block closing the open side of the through-opening in an adjoining block; additional blocks at the ends of the courses where window or door jambs occur, formed each with substantially L-shaped recesses forming an opening throughV said end blocks, and substantially rectangular shaped header blocks tted between the door or Window jamb and adjoining block formed with the L- shaped recesses.

2. A building block unit formed at oppositev ends with an oiset, the oiset at one end projecting from the upper portion of the block and at the other end projecting from the lower portion of the block, each oiset having a depthequal substantially to one half the maximum Vthickness of the block and a width equal substantially to the width of the block, the block 'being also formed withthrough-openings, at least one of which has an open side next to the'projecting end'offset,

adapted to becovered bythe oiset of an adjoining block when the blocks are laid in courses,

whereby Vsaid through-openings register to provide fiues for the reception of conducting means.

ALBERT J OSEPH SCHMITZ. 

